Dive into how Dom Eromosele leverages community management to grow Africa’s largest gaming network and discover his pivotal moments in the gaming industry.
In this second part of our interview series, we continue our conversation with Dom Eromosele, Head of Community at Carry1st. Dom has spent over half a decade driving his passion for gaming and has become a thought leader in the African gaming ecosystem.
He shares the strategies that have helped him build a vibrant gaming community as well as:
- 💰his memorable financial milestones,
- 🧳the most memorable money moments that defined his journey.
- 🤳and his favourite content creators.
Building a Campus Network
Building a thriving community from the ground up is no small feat, and Dom’s experience at Carry1st illustrates the power of grassroots engagement. He recalls,
“Managing a community is tough, but I enjoy the strategic conversations because that’s what I love doing. One of the best decisions we made was starting the campus program. Initially, our ‘Tribe community‘ and the Carry1st gaming community started small. I remember after the first month, we had just 23 members. I felt like I failed, but my manager was supportive and trusted that we’d grow.”
That trust paid off. The campus program was a game-changer and became a key element in how the Carry1st team could scale not just effectively, but quickly as well. Not to mention, it did the most important job of all— creating a true sense of community for African gamers.
Dom’s approach to community building is rooted in understanding his audience. Recognising that the average African is around 20 years old and likely connected to university life, Carry1st’s campus program was a stroke of genius. By creating WhatsApp groups for students in various universities and appointing ‘Campus Leaders’ to manage these groups, they tapped into an existing network of young, tech-savvy individuals.
The Takeaway: This strategy highlights the importance of meeting your audience where they are. WhatsApp, being a universal communication tool among students, was the perfect platform to build these connections. The campus leaders acted as community anchors, enabling Carry1st to scale quickly and maintain a local presence in diverse locations without spreading their resources thin.
Local Relevance: A Key to Success
The success of the campus program also underscores another valuable aspect of community building: the importance of local relevance. By empowering students to lead their own groups, Carry1st could navigate the unique cultural and social dynamics of each university, ensuring the community felt authentic and engaging.
Dom Eromosele adds, “This strategy allowed us to scale quickly and effectively. For example, if we needed to promote something in Nairobi, we could message a few students, and they would spread the word in their groups. The impact was clear and profound. Students who never knew each other were coming together for events, discussing games, classes, and campus life. It created a sense of community that was truly amazing.”
“It was the feeling it was giving to these gamers because it’s one thing to be part of the university… and it’s another thing even to be part of a gaming group because to be a part of a gaming group that is just for your university…was so cool. I’d see videos of students who never knew each other before coming together to have an event in a small hall in their school and it just looked amazing, so I think that singular strategy; finding ways to leverage the existing university platforms and growing from there was by far one of the best. One of OUR best”.
Defining Money Moments
In every career, certain moments stand out as turning points. For Dom Eromosele, two ‘money moments’ highlight his journey’s highs.
“I have two significant money moments. The first was when we (Aturu Gaming) received $25,000 in funding from the IGDA to develop a particular project. (Just doing that alone was amazing). I was like ‘Wait, what we actually got in??’. I was living with my family then, and during a family devotion, I announced the good news. At that time if you did the conversion with the exchange rate then; it was around 30 million naira. I remember my baby sister shouting in awe and my parents were too dazed to speak. It was a moment of validation for all our hard work.” (so that’s the first one).
The Takeaway: Securing funding is often a pivotal moment for startups and projects. It not only provides financial resources but also serves as external validation of the project’s potential and the team’s capabilities. For Dom, this funding was a crucial step in advancing his career and proving the value of his work in the gaming industry.
He continues, “The second moment was when I got a job as a game designer in Berlin. I remember calculating my salary in naira while at a mechanic workshop. When I got the offer, I almost lost it. I drove home in disbelief and shared the news with my mum, and then the rest of my family. By now you can guess my family is a big part of everything for me, so when I win, it’s for all of us, and they really supported me even when they didn’t understand what I was up to. It was a moment of triumph, seeing my parents’ support and realising my dreams coming to fruition.”
Favorite Content Creator
A big part of Dom’s motto also includes a serious admiration for African content creators. And why not? You can’t push something without being heavily invested in its exploits. With this admiration, Dom sheds light on the growing influence of local talent in the gaming industry.
“My favourite African gaming content creator is Khala Manja. I’ve been following his content for over a year, even before he became the big entity he deserves to be. His creativity is inspiring, and I always enjoy his work.”
The Takeaway: The rise of local content creators like Khala Manja showcases just how vibrant and creative the African gaming community is or can be. These creators play a crucial role in shaping the narrative and driving engagement within the community, highlighting the potential for homegrown talent to achieve international recognition. There are other noteworthy creators, like TacticalCeza (the first Nigerian gamer to stream for 12 consecutive hours) and Rockstar Alfii, one of the top Clash of Clan and Mobile Legend Bang Bang players in the country and in Africa as a whole.
The Wrap-Up
Dom’s journey in the gaming industry combines passion, resilience, and strategic thinking. From starting small with the ‘Tribe gaming community’ to managing a vast network of gamers across Africa, Dom’s efforts have significantly impacted the African gaming ecosystem. His story is an inspiration for aspiring gamers and community managers. Intrigued to learn more? Dive into the full interview to hear insights from Dom Eromosele in his own words!
Watch The Video || Listen to The Interview
Cheers,
The SimplVest Team 🚀
